Air New Zealand (ANZ) Group plans to retain ANZ and Freedom Air as distinct brands, but wants to merge some of their backroom operations and have staff, including pilots and cabin crew, work across the two airlines.
The plan is being put to staff and about six employee unions as part of a “one- or two-month consultation process”, says the airline.
“ANZ introduced Express Class [its short-haul service offering] a couple of years ago…but now some work is under way to change the business model again and the airline has decided it makes sense to operate the Airbus A320 fleet under one operation,” it says.
Star Alliance carrier ANZ operates A320s domestically and on routes to Australia and the South Pacific, while low-cost subsidiary Freedom Air, which operates mainly between Australia and New Zealand, has started phasing in A320s as replacements for its Boeing 737-300s.
Source: Flight International
